Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1887-02-25
ROSRBURG REVIEW
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY, 25. 1887
Continued From First Pnae,

and science, and government, to man. |
kind, have been crowded, as it were,
within this zone of supremacy, within
this magical belt of national prosperity.
Examine your globe, and there is
Greece, that gave letters % the world;
Rome, that gave jurisprudence to man
kind; Palestine, that gaze religion to
our race. And to day there is Ger
many, that gave Luther to the
church and Gutenberg to science,
and there is England swaying her
mighty sceptre over land and sea.
Our location is in this wake of power
within this magical zone. Surely
there must be destiny feretold by
this great fact, and it is but wise for
us as intelligent freemen OH this ma
tional day to consider the significance
of the prophecy. Our national home
is not amid the polar SHOWS Of North
ern Russia nor the burning sands of
Central Africa, but sweeping over the
lovely regions of the temperate zone,
it lies too far south to be bound in
perpetual chains of frost, and too far
north to sink under the enervating in
fuences of tropical sun. Although
on the side Of the equator destined to
be the great receptal of human life, yet
it is too far from the belligerant pow
ers of tho old world to fall victim to
their corruption or to the weight of
their combined forces. With shore
line equalling the circuit of the globe,
and with a river navigation duplica-
ting that vast measurement, our ma
tional domain is only one-sixth less
than that of the sixty states-repub-
lies, kingdoms, and empires-of Eu-
rope. Tndeed, it is equal to old Rome's
vast domain, which extended from the
river Euphiates to the Western ocean
and from the walls of Antoninus to
the Mountains of the Moon.
Our locations is for purpose. For
if you and | believe in the mission of
individuals who accomplish the pur-
poses Of Providence, we must believe
in the mission of nations for the ele-
vation Of mankind to better future.
And, countrymen, it is equally signi-
, lieant that we stand above all nations
in ourorigin. We started where other
nations left off, Unriyalled for luxury
and oriental splendOr, the Assyrians
sprung froma band of hunters Grand
in her pyramids, and obelisks, and
sphinxes, Egypt rose from that race de-
spised by mankind. Great in her
jurisprudence, giving law to the world
the Romans came from band of free,
hooters on the seYen hills that have
been made immortal by martial genius
and that very nation, whose poets We
copy, whose orators we seek to initiate
whose artistic genius is the pride ot
the race, came from barbarians, canni
bals; and that proud nation beyond tht
sea, that sways her sceptre over lane
and ocean, sprang from painted barba
rians-for such were the aborigines o
proud Albion's Isle when Caesar in
vaded those shores.
Our forefathers stood upon the very
summit Of humanity. Recall our con
stitutional convention. Perhaps n
such convention had eser ASSEMBLIES
In the halls of a nation. That conven
ton, composed of fifty-fye men, an
such menl They were giants in intel
lect, in moral character; all occupyin
high social position; twenty min
were university men, and tn ose tina
were not collegiates were men Q
imperial intelleets and of commandin
common sense. In such gatherin
were Franklin, the venerable philoso
pher; Washington, who is ever to b
revered as patriot and philanthropisi
and Madison, and Hamilton, two c
the most profound thinkers of that o
CT any other age. 1t is one Of thos
inarvels that we should recall of whic
we have a right to be proud; but i
our pride we should not fail to ascel
tain why the Almighty should start u
as nation at the very acme of human
ity-redeemed, educated, and mad
grand by the influences of divin
Christianity Those men were nc
mere colonists, nor were they limite
in their patriotism. ''No pent-u
Utica" could confne their patriotism
for those men grasped the fundaments
principle of human rights. Nay, the
declared the ultimate truth of humaa
ity, leaving nothing to be added since
though a century has passed. Gre;
notifications have come to the go
ernments Of Europe. Some change
have taken place in our pational lif
Yet appeal to your intelligent men
ory, to your calm judgments, if an
thing has been added to our declaratic
of rights, those dtecIarations founde
upon the constitution 6. nature Thei
men voiced the brotherhood of the rae
All other declarations prior to thi
were but for dynasties, or were ethn
at most. But those men swept the h
rizon of humanity. These men Gale
forth, as it were, the oncoming centu
les of time, and in their presence d
clared that all men are created free an
equal.
They not only declared the ultima
truth of human rights, but they e
hausted the right Of revolution. The
created constitution founded upc
the will of the people, based upon oil
great declaration Of rights, embracii
mans inalienable right of life, libert
and happiness. The instrument whi'
their genius created was left amendab
by the oncoming wants of time, mod
fed in subordinate relations viii,
might be suggested by emergenci
and the unfolding of our race. He
then are the great fingers of prophet
pointing to our future.
And we have been equally favore
in our population, whether we take Il
Puritans who landed ii New Englan
the Dutch who landed in New Yor
or the English who crowded Marylar